The Hahnel HW 433 Pro Remote Control works using a radio frequency and allows remote firing of a D-SLR from up to 80m. The Hahnel HW 433 Pro Remote Control kit comprises a transmitter and receiver, and the latter conveniently slots into your camera’s hotshoe. The transmitter is compact and sports a short aerial, a shutter button and a switch for immediate or delayed (4secs) firing. If your camera is set to its Self-timer this works too, so you can remotely operate any delay that your camera offers, and add an extra 4 secs to it via the transmitter if you’re desperate! It uses a frequency of 433Mhz, and this is licence-free in Europe, so you shouldn’t get into trouble for using it within the EU. Under both the units, there’s a bank of four micro switches, and these offer the chance to further customise the operating frequency in case there’s any interference from another transmitter (like another snapper with the same gizmo!). The remote is available for Canon, Nikon, Sony and Olympus D-SLRs, and because all the different adapters are supplied to fit most of the various camera interfaces from each manufacturer, it’s easy to make sure you’ve got the right one. The good news is, because the device works by radio, you don’t need to have line-of-sight communication between transmitter and receiver. This means it will work through walls, so provided you’re within range, you can fire your camera from anywhere.
At a price of around £50, the Hahnel HW 433 Pro Remote Control offers good value considering the ease of use and the operating range, and though it’s not cheap compared to basic IR transmitters, you get much more versatility for remote shooting.
80m range licence-free frequency www.hahnel.ie
